Advice on life and the living. Direction on how to find and live the Epic Life.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

The Crazy Part of Thanksgiving

The crazy part of thanksgiving is we're not that thankful-at least most of us. It's not a conscious act that makes us un-thankful. Most people have good intentions. However, as you know, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Can you feel me here?

I used to wonder in my homeland why people tend to get thankful at Thanksgiving and during the general holiday season. I don't any longer. It's very clear that we Americans like entitlement. Yes, you heard me, we like entitlement(s). Look around and look within, the beast lives within. Whether we're impatient for traffic to "get moving" or anger that we didn't get a pat on the back from our employer, we feel like we're owed. I won't even pull out my list of embarrassing things in my past that made me feel entitled. I live a different life now than I did in those days past. Just the same, I have to keep careful watch over my reactions to circumstances that don't cater to me.

Here's some encouragement to consider:

Take a moment and ponder present or past losses. When you do that, you'll find out what's worth being thankful for

Find some way to remind yourself daily to be thankful. I use my iCloud calendar to do this. Find a system that works for you

Exit the stuff not worthy of the gift of time. I can't figure this one for you, it's a dance you must do alone

If the herd says go left, you should think hard about going right. The herd got us into this constant state of distraction

Read this profile of a man who knew he was running out of time and did